We're updating several area on the site, and I'd like to include tips from our visitors on the ways they have found to save money dining at WDW. So please, tell us your best!! Thanks, Pete
That's easy, the best way to save money on dining, is to stay out of WDW. They'll bleed you dry. But really, I can only think of a few: 1) Do a Big Breakfast and a Big Dinner, skip lunch or just get a snack during the day at the park. 2) Do only a couple Character meals, you can have the kids see the characters everywhere at the park. 3) Bring in your own snacks, like crackers, cookies, chips, and of course the most important thing I bring, A BRITA WATER BOTTLE.
Most meals at counter service restaurants come with french fries or another side dish. You can request just the sandwich (or burger, etc.) and not have the side dish. That will deduct $1.50-$2 per meal, and it's a bit healthier. Not a huge savings, but it will definately help if you're dining with a family or large group.
The basic, eat your sitdown meal at lunch. We have done the opposite of MikeWazowski - an in room breakfast of cereal bars. A mid morning snack. A large sit down late lunch, an evening snack and/or microwave popcorn once we are back to the room. Don't drink alcohol - save your drinking for home when you can get it cheap at the liquor store. Don't buy the kids each a "snack" of a Beaver Tail (or whatever). Buy one and share. Kids often dump most of it in the trash, and you can always get another one.
Filling, reasonably priced (for WDW), portable and nothing I can get anywhere else is a smoked Turkey leg and a frozen something for dessert - at MK that would be a Dole Whip, at AK probably a Mickey bar. We always have this combo for lunch at least once every trip. In fact, at MK, we even have a routine now in which we get our Turkey leg at Frontierland and eat it while we head toward Adventureland. By the time we get to the Dole Whip counter, we are just about ready. And at WDW, saving time is a great way to spend your money more effectively!
